Public Radio’s 10 Breakout Artists Of 2014

NPR Staff — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 13:20:07 +0000

Public radio hosts spend much of their time sifting through overflowing mail bins and inboxes as they hunt for as-yet-unknown musicians worth sharing. Their stations frequently help vault new artists to national success.

With that in mind, we asked our partner stations to tell us about their favorite musical discoveries of the year. The results include everything from a metamodern country singer to a heartsick Toronto surf-pop band, not to mention a whole lot of love for impressively viral Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. Read on for 10 hosts’ picks for the artists who broke out in 2014.

First Listen: Benjamin Booker, ‘Benjamin Booker’

Andy Beta — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 23:03:22 +0000

At 22, Benjamin Booker has experienced an auspicious rise. Tampa-born but based in New Orleans, the young singer-guitarist has already found a label deal, played Letterman and Lollapalooza, and had his debut album recorded by the in-demand producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff). To top it off, Booker was tapped to open Jack White‘s most recent tour — not bad for someone who hadn’t even played a live show until two years ago.

None of this would matter if Booker didn’t have the hooks and skill set to back it up. Flashing both the raw talent of a recruit and the acumen of a much older musician, Booker’s self-titled debut shows off both his youth and his grasp of past musical forms. Opening with the rock-salt barrel blast of “Violet Shiver,” Booker plays a nimble guitar line that just stays this side of a classic Chuck Berry lick while the band tears around him with unfettered glee. In “Always Wearing,” he stomps a fuzzbox pedal and unleashes a fury that brings to mind Ty Segall.

In addition to garage-rock and early rock ‘n’ roll, Booker’s six-string also embodies the tones you’d find in roadhouse stomp, country-flavored punk or even electric blues balladry, especially in the smoldering “I Thought I Heard You Screaming.” His raspy singing voice, which blurs by in fast cuts like “Old Hearts,” reveals its grain during these slower numbers, its texture not unlike a rutted gravel road. Booker burns brightest in the ferocious rocker “Have You Seen My Son,” as he howls like a preacher in the middle of a tornado. Even as the song seems to break apart and collapse midway through, Booker keeps his grip amid the disorder. The latter half of the song showcases that feral tenor of his guitar in a searching, searing solo that burns bright and incandescent.

Benjamin Booker – Bandwidth

Public Radio’s 10 Breakout Artists Of 2014

First Listen: Benjamin Booker, ‘Benjamin Booker’